Edge finishing machine



Se t. 12, 1933. .1. B. COFFEY EDGE FINISHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 8, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet- 1 Sept. 12, 1933. J COFFEY 1,926,037

EDGE FINISHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 8, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

Sept. 12, 1933. J. B. COFFEY EDGE FINISHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 8, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 12, 1933. J. B. COFFEY EDGE FINISHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 8, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 12, 1933 EDGE FINISHING MACHINE John B. Cofiey, Boston, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 8, 1931.

(Cl. 69l7) 9 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for finishing the edges of pieces of sheet material and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine particularly adapted to finish the edges of pieces of leather such as those used in the uppers of boots and shoes by shrinking the leather on one side (usually the flesh side) along an edge thereof to cause the unshrunken side (usually the grain side) side.

Machines of this kind usually comprise shrinking means, such as a hot tool or a jet of flame, past which the leather piece is fed in such manner as to expose the flesh side of the leather along one edge thereof to the action of the heat, and a hammer which acts, while the leather is somewhat plastic, to round and compact the edge. Hitherto the relative movement between the work and the shrinking tool has been intermittent, and the hammer has operated upon the work during the pauses between the intermittent movements.

In order to increase the output of such machines, as well as to improve the finished Work, the machine of the present invention is provided with means for producing continuous relative movement between the shrinking means or tool and the work, and with a hammer which operates during this relative movement. In the illustrated machine the work is fed continuously by upper and lower rolls past a small intensely hot jet of flame directed upon the exreme margin thereof; and a very rapidly oscillating hammer operates upon the moving work. With such a construction not only is the output of the machine increased, but the finished edge is improved since it is struck many more blows than has been possible hitherto.

In machines of this general type in which intense heat is applied to the work, particularly in machines which employ an oxy-acetylene flame, the turning post or similar member, over a portion of which the margin of the work is fed to bend it up somewhat in position to receive the heat most advantageously, becomes very hot and tends to heat undesirably other portions of the machine adjacent to the point of application of the heat. In order to facilitate the dissipation of this heat, the turning post of the present machine is attached to a comparatively large member of a metal which is a good conductor of heat. In the illustrated machine this member isa comparatively large block of copper.

These and other features of the invention,

to curl toward the shrunken- Serial No. 567,659

including certain details of construction and combinations of parts will be described as embodied in an illustrated machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine in which the present invention is embodied;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the machine;

Fig. 3 is an elevation partly in section of one end of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the turning post and flame guard in separate relation;

Fig. 5 is an elevation partly in section of a portion of that end of the machine which carries the work-engaging instrumentalities; and

Fig. 6 is a detail showing more particularly the work-engaging instrumentalities.

Figs. 2 to 6 are upon more or less enlarged scales as compared with Fig. 1.

Before proceeding to a detailed description 01 the machine, its general mode of operation will be described. The work 100 is fed away from the observer, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, by a lower feed roll 9 and an upper feed roll 11, with the margin of the work lying upon a plow-like projection at the base of a turning post 13 and the extreme edge of the work bent up. The margin of the work is pressed against the turning post by a combined work presser and flame guard 15, there being a channel through this member 15 and the turning post 13 to permit the products of combustion to be received in the mouth of a hollow overhanging arm 17 through which said products may be drawn away by a suitable suction apparatus, not shown. A gas burner supplied through flexible tubes 19, 21 respectively, with oxygen and acetylene has a tip 25 having a small orifice, or small orifices, at its lower end to direct a small, intensely hot jet of flame upon the extreme margin of the work on one side thereof to shrink it so that the un shrunken side curls toward the shrunken side. Thereafter the shrunken and curled edge of the work is operated upon by a hammer 27 to round and compact the shrunken edge while the leather is still somewhat plastic from the heat. The work is fed continuously through the machine, the hammer being oscillated very rapidly to permit such a feed and to hammer the edge effectually. In the illustrated machine, the work is fed at a rate of inches per minute, and the hammer during that time strikes 3600 blows.

The general mode of operation of the machine having been outlined above, a detailed description of the machine will now be given. Referring to Fig. 1, the lower roll 9 is rotatably mounted in the frame and has a large gear 29 by which it is driven from a small gear 31 fast to the outer end of a shaft 33, said shaft having near its innerend a worm gear 35 which meshes with a worm 37 on a countershaft 39. This countershaft has a gear 41 (Fig. 3) meshing with a gear 43 on the main driving shaft 45 which is rotated continuously.

The upper feed roll 11 (Fig. 5) is rotatably mounted in an arm 47 adjustably fastened to a bracket at, the lower end of a hollow rod 49 which is vertically slidable in alined bores formed in a stationary bracket 51. A coiled spring 53 rests with its lower end against the bottom of a hollow in the rod and is engaged at its upper end by an adjusting screw 55 threaded through a stationary cap 57 on the top of the bracket 51.

The feed roll thus bears yieldingly upon the work. In order to prevent the rod 49 from turning about its axis, as well as to limit the extent of downward movement of the rod, 2. guide bar 59 is adjustably clamped to the rod by a pinch screw 60 and rests with its outer end in a vertical slot formed in a projecting portion 151 of the bracket 51. In order tofacilitate raising the upper feed roll 11 in order to permit presentation of work tothe machine, a finger lever 61 is fast at one end to arock shaft 63, the other end of which has a small finger 65 to engage the lower end of a screw 67 which is threaded through the guide bar 59. By manipulating the finger lever 61 the upper roll 11 may thus be, lifted. This upper roll has rigid with it a small gear 69 whichmeshes with a small gear 71, the shaft of which is rotatably mounted in the same bracket 47 which carries the roll 11. This shaft is connected by a universaljoint 73 Fig. 1) with one end of a short shaft 75, the other end of which is connected by a second universal joint with the lower end of an inclined shaft77, rotatable in the frame, the upper end of said inclined shaft carrying a beveled gear 79. This beveled gear meshes with a beveled gear 81 at the upper end of an inclined shaft 83 rotatably mounted in the frame, the lower end ofwhich carries a beveled gear 85 meshing with a beveled gear 87 fast to the shaft 33. The upper and lower feed rolls are thus driven continuously, and'the upper roll maybe lifted when desired. The construction is such that the peripheral speeds of the two rolls are approximately the same.

The stem. of thehammer 27 (Figs. 1 and 2) is fastened by a screw 89 to the horizontal arm of a bell-crank-lever 91 pivoted at 93 to the frame. The downwardly extending vertical arm of this lever is pivoted at 95 to the outer end of a horizontal threaded rod 97 which extends into a casing 99 (Fig. 1) and has a head 101 at its inner end. A coiled compression spring 103 which encircles the rod bears with one end against the head 101 and with the other end against a sleeve 105 threaded into the casing 99. This rod carries check and stop nuts'109, 197

by manipulaion of which the location of the path of oscillation of thehammer may be varied. The casing 99 is pivoted at 111 to the upper end of a rock arm 114 the lower end. of which is pivoted to the frame at 113. This casing is also 1 pivoted at 111 to. one end of a connecting rod 115, the other end of which has an eccentric strap to receive an eccentric on the driving shaft 45. With the construction described above in which the work is fed slowly as compared with the rate of oscillation of the hammer, it is possible to feed the work continuously and to hammer it yieldingiy as it is being fed.

The burner and its mounting are substantially the same as that shown in prior application Serial No. 374,675, Patent Number 1,855,223 issued April 26, 1932, filed June 29, 1929 in'my name. This burner (Fig. 2) comprises the tip 25 at. its lower end, a mixing chamber 117 at its upper end, and a pipe 119 connecting the two. The tip 25 is a small copper tube having an orifice or orifices of small cross-section and is adjustably clamped to the pipe 119 by a cap 121 which is threaded on the lower end of the pipe so that the tip may readily be removed and replaced by another having an orifice of a different size whenever it is desired to apply a larger or a smaller jet of flame to the work. Into the mixing chamber lead two small pi es 123, 125 which are supplied respectively through the flexible tubes 19, 21 with oxygen and acetylene from pressure tanks, not shown, controlling valves 131, 133 (Fig. 1) being provided. The burner operates continuously and is adapted to be moved, in a manner presently to be described,

into the position shown in the figures. In so moving it moves angularly as well as bodily. When the burner is in operative position the products of combustion are directed, as has been noted, through a passageway formed in the guard member 15 and the turning post 13, into the open mouth of thehollow arm 17 which is rigid with the frame of the machine. When the burner is in operative position, as best shown in Fig. 2, the 10\ er end of the tip is inclined downwardly to the plane of the wardly of the work toward the extreme margin thereof. The jet of burning gas under pressure is thus directed downwardly and outwardly with respect to the work as it lies upon the supporting and feeding roll 9, this downward and outward inclination of the jet not only aiding in the application of the heat to a narrow margin of the work but also facilitating the withdrawal of the products of combustion by blowing them into the hollow arm through which they are drawn away. The movement of the burner from inoperative to operative position is brought about by rocking an arm 137 (Fi 1)j pivoted at 139 to the frame. The burner is connected to one end of the arm and to the frame in the following l manner.

A carrier 141 (Fig. 5) has a bore through which the pipe 119 of the burner is slidable, and ail-adjusting screw 143 threaded through an ear on this carrier and .held from movement with respect to the burner provides means for adjusting the burner up and down. The carrier 141 has a horizontal stem or pivot which is loosely received in a horizontal bore in a headed eccentric sleeve 145 which in turn is received in a horizontal bore in the lower end of the rock arm 137. The reduced outer end of this stem of the carrier 141 is threaded and carries a washer and a nut 147. The eccentric sleeve 145 is held'in place by a set screw, not shown; and, turning the sleeve, adjuststhe burner in a direction transverse to the direction of feed of the work. With this construction, rocking the arm 137 would raise and lower the burner but would not control its angular position. In order to cause the burner to move in a predetermined work and outthe machine.

path, in which it moves angularly as well as bodily, it carries a roller 149 which runs in a cam slot 153 cut in a stationary bracket 155. The roller 149 is not carried directly by the burner but is mounted in the upper end of a dovetailed bar 157, the hub at the lower end of which is rotatable on the horizontal cylindrical stem of the carrier 141. This guide-bar is received in a dovetailed guideway formed in the side of the mixing chamber 117. With this construction, when the arm 137 swings up to its normalposition, the burner is raised and swung somewhat in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. This is its normal inoperative position. When the arm 137 is swung down by mechanism presently to be described, the burner is brought down and swung clockwise into the position shown. The construction and mounting of the burner as thus far described are substantially the same as that shown in my prior application.

The hub of the arm 137 has fast to it a second arm 159 pivoted at its upper end at 161 to the upper end of a push rod 163, the lower end of which is pivoted at 165 to the outer end of the lever 167 pivoted near its middle at 169 to the frame and at its opposite end to a treadle rod 171. A long tension spring 173 (Fig. 3) fastened at its upper end to the pivot 161 and at its lower end to a stationary screw 175 normally holds the burner in raised inoperative position. When the treadle, not shown, which is attached to the treadle rod 171 is depressed, the burner is moved into operative position and remains in that position as long as the treadle is held depressed.

The turning post 13 and the combined work presser and flame guard 15 are shown in separated relation in Fig. 4. The work is fed through the machine in the direction indicated by the plain arrow in that figure with the margin of the work passing over the projection 177 on the lower part of the turning post. The upper part of the turning post is formed with two spaced walls 179 to provide a passageway for the fumes and products of combustion. This turning post is preferably made of copper and is attached rigidly to, or is integral with, a comparatively large copper carrier 176 which is mounted on the frame of the machine, the purpose of providing a comparatively large copper carrier being to dissipate to a considerable extent the heat which is imparted to the turning post by the flame. The combined work presser and flame guard 15 has a flat stem provided with a hole 181 for fastening it to a vertically movable member in a manner presently to be described. The member 15 has a passageway 183 extending through it; and, when the two parts 13, 15 are assembled in the machine, the faces 185, 187 of the member 15 abut respectively against the faces 189, 191 of the walls 179 of the member 13, and part of the flat stem of the member 15 rests upon the tops of these walls so that the two members provide a passageway for the products of combustion. The part of the member 15, which rests upon the work and acts as a presser and flame guard for the work, is the narrow lower portion 193, this portion being shown in cross-section in Fig. 2.

This member 15 should be capable of yielding away from the work to take care of different thicknesses thereof and of. being lifted, if desired, to facilitate presentation of the work to Referring now to Fig. 2, the flat stem of the member 15 is fastened by a screw 195 to the horizontal arm of a bent iron 197, the vertical arm of said iron having a horizontal slot to receive a screw 199 by which it is adjustably fastened to the lower end of a partly hollow rod 201 which is mounted for vertical yielding movement in the same manner as is the rod 49 by which the upper feed roll is carried. This rod 201has a hollow upper portion to receive a coiled compression spring 203, like the spring 53, the upper end of which is engaged by an adjusting screw205 (Fig. 1) like the screw 55. This rod is prevented from turning on its axis and is limited in its downward movement by a guide-bar, not shown, which is like the guide-bar 59 which cooperates with the vertical rod 49.

The driving shaft 45 is connected by means of a belt with a transmitter, not shown, of any suitable usual type whereby depression of a treadle imparts rotation to said driving shaft.

By reference to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the turning post or plow 13, the burner 25 and the bite of the feed rolls 9, 11 are located substan tially in line with one another considered in a direction transverse to the direction of feed movement of the Work.

Assuming that the machine is at rest and the burner is in its raised inoperative position, the

operator applies power to the driving shaft, presents a piece of work to the machine, and at the same time pulls down the treadle rod 171 into the position shown to swing the burner down into operative position to the work. Thereafter the work is fed continuously, the extreme margin of the work is shrunk on one side by the action of the flame, and the shrunken edge is compacted by the hammer. If it happens that a portion of the work should be treated again, the upper roll may be lifted by the finger lever 61 to permit that portion only to be treated.

The construction and mode of operation of the present machine are in many respects similar to those of the machine of my prior application and all patentable subject-matter which is common to the two applications is claimed in said prior application.

Although the invention has been set forth as embodied in a particular machine, it should be understood that the invention is not limited in the scope of its application to the particular machine which has been shown and described.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A machine for finishing the edge of a piece of work having, in combination, a burner for directing a jet of flame under high pressure upon one side of the work, means for producing continuous relative movement between the burner and the work in such manner as to cause one side of the work along an edge thereof to be shrunk by the flame so that the unshrunken side curls toward the shrunken side, and a hammer for striking a rapid succession of blows upon the edge of the work during the relative movement.

2. A machine for finishing the edge of a piece of work having, in combination, means for feeding the work continuously, a burner having a small orifice, means for supplying an inflammable gas under pressure to the burner whereby a small, intensely hot jet of flame may be projected from it, said burner being located to direct this small hot jet at an inclination to the plane of the work, downwardly and ou wardly of the work toward the margin thereof whereby the unheated side of the work curls toward the heated side, a hammer, and means for causing the hammer to strike a rapid succession of blows upon the edge of the moving work.

3. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a turning post, shrinking means adapted to apply an intense heat to a piece of work,fmeans for feeding the work past the turning post and shrinking means, with its margin passing over a portion of the turning post and exposed to the heat of the shrinking'means, and a comparatively large block of metal having a high heat conductivity upon which the turning post is mounted. y

4. A machine forfinishing the edge of a piece of work having, in combination, feeding means acting at all timesrupon the work to feed it, means for shrinking one side of the work along an edge thereof to cause the unshrunken side to curl toward the shrunken side, a hammer for operating upon the curled edge, and means for causing the hammer to strike a succession of blows with a rapidity relative to the speed of operation of the feeding means sufiicient to permit said means to feed the work continuously.

5. A machine-for finishing the edge of a piece of work having, in combination, a feed roll and a presser roll between the peripheries ofwhich the work is engaged, means for rotating the rolls to feed the work, means located substantially in line with the bite of the rolls, considered in a direction at right angles to the direction of feed movement of the work, for applying a shrinking heat to the margin of the work, a hammer, and means for causing the hammer to strike the work a succession of blows with a rapidity, relative to the peripheral velocity of the rolls, suflicient to permit the rolls to feed the work continuously.

6. A machine for finishing the edge of a piece of work having, in combination, a plow for turn ing up the edge of the work, a burner for directing upon the bent-up edge a jetof flame under high pressure, a pair of rolls for engaging and feeding the work, the bite of the rolls, the burner and the plow being substantially in line with one another considered in a direction transverse to the direction of feed movement of the work, a hammer located close to the plow, and means for causing the hammer to strike the work a succession of blows with a rapidity, relative to the peripheral velocity of the rolls, sufficient to permit the rolls to feed the work continuously.

a '7. A machine for finishing the edge of a piece of work having, in combination, a feed roll and a presser roll between the peripheries of which the work is engaged, means for rotating the rolls to feed the work, a burner located to direct a jet of flame upon the margin of the work at a locality substantially in line with the bite of the rolls, considered in a direction at right angles to the direction of feed movement of the work, means for supplying the burner with a mixture of oxygen and an inflammable gas under pressure, a hammer, and means for causing the hammer to strike the work a succession of blows with a rapidity, relative to the peripheral velocity of the rolls, sufiicient to permit the rolls to feed the work continuously.

8.. A machine for finishing the edge of a piece of work having, in combination, a pair of cooperating'rolls for engaging the work, means for rotating the rolls, a burner for directing a jet of flame upon one side of the work along an edge thereof, means for supplying the burner with a mixture of oxygen and an inflammable gas under pressure, a hammer, and means for causing the hammer to strike the edge of the work a succession of blows with a rapidity, relative to the peripheral velocity of the rolls, sufiicient to permit the rolls to feed the work continuously.

9. A machine for finishing the edge of a piece of work having, in combination, a feed roll arranged to engage with its periphery one side of the work, means for rotating the roll to feed the work continuously, a presser for holding the work against the periphery of the feed roll, means for shrinking one side of the work along an edge thereof to cause the unshrunken side to curl toward the shrunken side, a hammer, and means for causing the hammer to strike a succession of blows upon the curled edge of the work while said edge is supported upon the periphery of the feed roll.

' JOHN B. COFFEY.

DISCLAIMER 1,926,037.-J0im B. Oofley, Boston, Mass. EDGE FINISHING MACHINE. Patent dated September 12, 1933. Disclaimer filed September 21, 1934, by the assignee, Um'zed Shoe Machinery Corporation.

Hereby enters this disclaimer to said claims 4 and 5 of said Letters Patent, which are in the following Words, to Wit:

4. A machine for finishing the edge of a piece of Work having, in combination, feeding means acting at all times upon the work to feed it, means for shrinking one side of the Work along an edge thereof to cause the unshrunken side to curl toward the shrunken side, a hammer for operating upon the curled edge, and means for causing the hammer to strike a succession of blows with a rapidity relative to the speed of operation of the feeding means suflicient to permit said means to feed the Work continuously.

5. A machine for finishing the edge of a piece of Work having, in combination, a feed roll and a presser roll between the peripheries of which the Work is engaged, means for rotating the rolls to feed the Work, means located substantially in line with the bite of the rolls, considered in a direction at right angles to the direction of feed movement of the Work, for applying a shrinking heat to the margin of the Work, a hammer, and means for causing the hammer to strike the Work a succession of blows With a rapidity, relative to the peripheral velocity of the rolls, sufficient to permit the rolls to feed the Work continuously.

[Ofiicial Gazette October 25, 1934.] 

